Consol cited in fatal mine accident

[Stan Smith]

Coal operator Consol Energy has been cited for a safety violation that federal investigators say contributed to the death of a 35-year-old worker at a West Virginia mine.

A federal Mine Safety and Health Administration report issued Friday says Consol failed to follow the roof-control plan at its Bronzite Mine in Mingo County. Continuous mining machine operator Brent Reynolds was killed when a portion of the mine's roof collapsed and struck him Sept. 3, 2007.

MSHA hasn't issued a fine in the case yet.

The agency's report says Consol installed 4-foot-long roof bolts that weren't long enough to penetrate stable rock above the mine's top. In some places, MSHA says the bolts penetrated just 1 inch into solid material.

Consol spokesmen didn't immediately return calls Friday.

Pittsburgh-based Consol operates 20 mining complexes in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah, Kentucky and Ohio. Its stock fell $3.40, or 4.4 percent, to $74.05 Friday.

• Consol cited in fatal mine accident - Examiner.com
  
• Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) - U.S. Department of Labor